




^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^S 




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GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



GRANDMAS 



ATTIC Treasures 



A STORY OF OLD-TIME MEMORIES 



By MARY D^ BRINE 



ILLUSTRATED 





NEW YORK 

E. P. BUTTON AND COMPANY 

LONDON: GRIFFITH & FARRAN 

1882 



Copyright, 1881, 
By E. p. Button and Company. 




TRi\T10K^^ 




Drsignrt! bv 



Miss C. A. Northam, 

J. Francis Murphy, 

W. P. Snyder. 



Edmund H. Garrett, 

W. A. Rogers, 

W. F. Halsai.l. 



The book is prepared and the ilUistrations engraved 
By George T. Andrew. 




jii^t of 3jUujStratiou0. 



Grandma's Attic Treasures Frontispiece 

Heading and Tailpiece 5 

"There, give me my knittin', dearie " 9 

"Till — Asa came courtin' me " ii 

" Asa had gone down to the fields for a load of hay " 13 

Door Knocker 15 

"Wal, so they set down in the settin'-room " 16 

" Sech a heap of worn-out stuff " 17 

" A part of my cheers and tables " 21 

"Ay, Hannah, wife, it is good to rest" . . _ . 23 

" So I laid my hand on his dear old head ".......... 25 

" He stopped to the barn-yard fence " 27 

"As I stood in the kitchen doorway ■' 28 

" And father, he 'd set there a-laughin' " 31 

" So warm and snug on the pillow " • • • 33 

"A spinnin'-wheel " 34 

"The oddest lookin' table" ...... 36 

"Atop of the kitchen-shelf " 39 

'^ So, restin' my head agen the wheel" 41 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Vli 

Page 

" As out on the farm-house porch I spun " 42 

" Somebody's hands went over my eyes " . . 45 

'• There were only two of us, then, you know " 48 

"They set to the table in little high cheers" 49 

" Sometimes on a summer's day " 51 

"At sixteen the village belle " .-55 

" I would gather 'em close in my arms " 59 

"In the sun of the mornin' skies'' 62 

" He pulled me down on his knee " 65 

" For here's a letter" 70 

" To the distant English shore " 73 

" Agen her rosy young cheek " 75 

" And now I was goin' to leave him " 79 

" And a heap of confusin' gimcracks " 81 

"To take a good look at the thing" 85 

" And I jest set down to that table and cried the least little mite " . 87 

"Till we neared the dear old homestead" 91 

"Jest help me in on your arm, dear" 93 

" There he is by the pasture bars " 94 



^ 




GRANDMAS ATTIC TREASURES. 



There, give me my knittin', dearie, 

It 's somethin' I can't abide, 
To set with my old hands idle, 

Like driftin' along on the tide. 
I ain't so young as I once was, 

But there 's one thing sartain sure. 
To rust out of life, as some folks do. 

Is a habit I can't endure. 



lO GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

Wal, yes, it is strange how time does fly ; 

'Most takes one's breath away: 
A creetur is hardly born, it seems. 

Afore she turns old and gray. 
But I don't complain ; for, if 1 Ve seen 

A sight of worry and care, 
There 's been a plenty of sunshine, 

And I s'pose I 've had my share. 



Did I use to have beaux ? Yes, plenty, 

And likely young fellows, too : 
But I was full of my fun then, — ■ 

As much of a witch as you 
Are now, with your face so pretty, 

And your ways so dainty and fine ; 
But the beaux you girls have now-days 

Never were found in mine. 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



II 




But I was a bit particular; 

So I and my heart were free 
As ever the wind and summer air 

Till — Asa came courtin' me. 
And, oh! I remember jest as plain 

How his blue e3'es danced and shone 
The day I promised him truly 

I 'd be Jiis sweetheart alone. 



12 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

Of all the days that were glad and bright 

I think the gladdest were then, 
When Asa and I were lovers, dear. 

And over and over agen 
Kept makin' our plans for the future. 

Come foul or sunshiny weather, 
We used to say we did n't care which. 

So that we shared it together. 



But what did I promise to tell you 

When you put me down in this cheer.? 
Oh yes, I remember now, dearie, 

I know you wanted to hear 
About the time of my sellin' 

The things that folks call antik. 
Wal, then, the mem'ry of that are time 

E'enamost makes me sick. 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



13 



Oh dear ! shall I ever forget that day ? 

The old man, Asa, had gone 
Down to the fields for a load of hay, 

And I felt somehow forlorn 
And kinder lonesome, and could n't tell why. 

As I stood there a-washin' dishes, 
And lettin' my old, onruly heart 

Get fall of onreasonable wishes. 




14 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

You see I 'd been wantin' a bunnit 

For nigh onto three good years ; 
And for shame of my shawl so faded 

I 'd actuaUy once shed tears ; 
And Asa lie wanted a cow-critter 

Old Deacon Jones had to sell, 
And — law ! the half that we wanted 

I ain't got the patience to tell. 



So I was a-wipin' my dishes, 

And now and then wipin' my eyes. 
And grievin' over the shadows and clouds 

Which come to every one's skies, 
Forgettin' the bright and sunny part. 

Which my eyes warn't willin' to see, 
Because I thought at that minit 

They warn't shinin' bright for 7ne, — 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



15 



When all on a sudden there came a knock 

Right smart on the old front door ; 
(I did n't know when I had heard a sound 

Agen that door before). 
So I tidied my hair at the kitchen glass, 

And smoothed my apern, and then 
I nearly jumped out of my senses 

When the knock came soundin' agen. 



But I went and opened it keerful, 

And I was amazed to see 
Two stylish-lookin' gentlemen, 

And they bowed perlite to me. 
There, now, if I 'd been Victc'ry, 

Those fellows could n't a been 
A bit perliter salutin' to me, 

Jest like if I 'd been the Queen. 




i6 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



So I bowed back aofen, of course, 

My very best curtsy ; for I 
Was allers taught to be civil, 

In the civil old days gone by. 
And I said, says I, "Oh, how do you do? 

Won't you kindly step in ? " 
(For I never had shet my door on folks. 

And I was n't a-goin' to begin.) 




Wal, so they set down in the settin'-room, 
And then they waited a bit ; 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



17 



For I was so flustered I scarcely knew 
What on airth to make of it. 

But finally one of 'em said to me, — 
" Now, madam," says he, " I hear 

That you have some antique furniture." 
Thinks I, "Law sakes ! how queer! 



"What on airth does he mean, I wonder!" 

But I said : " Oh, deary me ! 
I hain't no antik furniture. 

If it 's that you 're a-wantin' to see. 
But what I 've got is pozvcrfiil old, 

And I 'm sure it 's cur'ous enough 
Why anybody should want to see 

Sech a heap of worn-out stuff." 




GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

1 noticed the men, they laughed at me, 

But there ! I did n't keer ; 
Thinks I, " There 's allers been lots of fools, 

And a couple of 'em are here." 
For cur'ouser folks I never see, 

A peekin' and pryin' about 
As if there was n't an airthly thing 

They did n't want to find out. 



Wal, arter a spell, when they 'd got through 

A-meddlin' with my affairs, 
And I was a-tryin' to get 'em down 

A-past the garret stairs. 
One of 'em spoke, and said, " Hold on. 

There 's one more place to go ; 
You '11 let us visit your garret, ma'am. 

Only a minit, you know." 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

Wal, there ! I zvas 'most beat, my dear ; 

But at once to myself says I, 
" It 's plainer still that the day for fools 

Ain't anywhere nigh gone by ! " 
I could n't help but laugh, you know. 

For I never heard tell afore 
Of two sech pecular strangers. 

Says I, " There ain't no more 



19 



" That 's wuth your lookin' at, Mister, 

A heap of rubbidge and sich. 
Old beds and cheers and tables. 

You can't tell t' other from which. 
And I do feel mighty ashamed to show 

Such homely old trash, you see, 
And they ain't no airthly use to a soul, 

So you better leave 'em be ! " 



20 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

But, dearie, would you believe it ? 

What did they up and say, 
But that they 'd ruther have old things 

Than new ones, any day ! 
So, — wal, I let 'em look at the duds — 

But what they wanted to do 
Was somethin' I could n't onderstand, 

No more, I reckon, could you. 



But by and by, when we got down stairs, 

The men they whispered a bit, 
And then they said, " Now, madam, look here, 

If you 're willin' to part with it. 
We '11 buy your furniture, such as we like, 

And give you a good, fair price." 
I looked at them two poor lunatics. 

And my laugh riz up in a trice. 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



21 



But I kinder smothered it down, for there, 

Thinks I, " I 've hearn of folks 
Who hain't much else to do on airth 

But jest to be playin' jokes ! " 
So I asked em kindly, "What did you say? 

You 're willin' to buy of me 
A part of my cheers and tables, 

And t' other old truck you see ? " 



They bowed perlite, and answered, _,_^ 
" Yes, certainly, ma'am," said they. ^4 
Said I, " Wal, I don't hardly know 



What Asa, my man, would say. \\ ^~1 
But s'posin', you call agen," says I, \1 B w 

" And I '11 think of the matter some ; / 
You see I dunno jest what to say 

When father is n't to home." 




22 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

With that, they went away at once, 

And I could n't but laugh to think 
I 'd only to say the word, you know, 

And jest as quick as a wink 
I could have my bran new bunnit. 

My new green shawl and all, 
And Asa could have that cow-critter 

Along in the airly fall. 



Wal, pretty soon Asa came along. 

All tired and tuckered out 
With turnin' the hay in the medder, 

And drivin' the oxen about. 
And down he set in the old arm-cheer, 

A-leanin' his gray old head 
Agen the back. And he drew a breath, 

"It is s^ood to rest I'' he said. 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 




\m 



'ss^mmm m \ \ ' hjjji \m\\M.\< w itiiiiyi mmA\ iii^.jj.jiji«iMi 



" Ay, Hannali, wife, it is good to rest, 

And it 's better still to see 
Your dear old face a-smilin' so sweet, 

And waitin' to welcome me. 
I 'm gx'ttin' along, old woman, you know 

And easily tired, my dear, 
And arter all, there 's nothin' like home 

And a comf'table easy cheer!" 



24 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

Now, would you believe it, those men had chose 

That partickler cheer, and I 
Was puzzled to death, when I looked at it, 

To know the reason why. 
For a homelier thing I never did see. 

As plain as a pipe-stem, too; 
I was so beat when they p'inted it out, 

I did n't know what to do. 



Howsomever, I thought I would let it go. 

For I had n't s'posed Asa 'd keer ; 
Knowin' how many old things we had, 

I did n't have thought nor fear 
That he 'd say a word ; but hearin' him speak 

In that way, it made me sad ; 
For, thinks I, " If he knows I 'm willin' to sell, 

It '11 make him sorter feel bad." 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



25 



But I had to tell ; and so I laid 
My hand on his dear old head, 

And kind of coaxin' like, said I, 
" Asa, my dear," I said, 



pniTfjffiiiwriWBjniiiTwiiMriiip^ miiiimi 




" The garret is full of old truck, you know. 

Old truck that we never use, 
And I 'm thinkin' I 'd like to sell 'em off, 

And I s'pose you won't refuse ? " 



26 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

Dear ! how he laughed ! " Why, Hannah, wife, 

Who '11 buy it, do you s'pose ? 
The like of our worn-out furniture 

Every soul in the village knows. 
No, no, my woman, there 's no one here 

You can cheat into thinkin' it's new; 
It ain't so harnsome as once it was. 

But we '11 have to make it do." 



Then I up and told him the story, 

And told him about the men, 
And how I had said I 'd think it o'er, 

And they were a-comin' agen. 
And I said, to him, " Now, father, dear, 

There 's Deacon Jones' critter, you see, 
You 've wanted to buy her so long, my dear, 

Now here 's your chance ; and for me^ 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



27 



♦' I can have that bunnit I 'm wantin', 

And won't be ashamed, you know, 
To hold up my head among folks, 

When next Sabbath to meetin' we go!" 
And I smoothed his forehead a little, 

And coaxed till my dear old man 
Jest give me a kiss, and said, " Wal, des 

I 'm willin' to sell, if you can." 





GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

He stopped to the barn-yard fence 

A minit or so, jest to say, — 
" You 're'^^/r^ you're wantin' to sell the things? 

Don't go and be hasty, wife ! " 
And then he came back and kissed me. 

Wal, dearie, to save my life 



I could n't see thro' my glasses 

For the tears that were dimmin' 'em so, 
As I stood in the kitchen doorway 



A-watchin' the old man q:o. 




GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 29 

But 't warn't very long afore some one came, 

Knockin' agen at the door, 
And them two men stood there a-bo\vin\ 

Jest as on the day before. 

The fust thing they asked me to sell 'em 

Was Asa's old favorite cheer; 
But you '11 laugh when I tell you I saw him 

A-settin' into it, my dear, 
As plain as if really he 'd been there, 

And, law sakes ! I '11 honestly say 
It seemed as tho' if they 'd took the chair, 

They 'd a-taken my man away. 

For a picter came quickly afore me 

Of how he did like to rest 
(And finally get to snorin' 

With his chin down low on his breast) 



) GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

In that homely old cheer they wanted ; 

And I got to thinkin', you know, 
Of how that cheer was a part of ourselves 

In the days of the long ago. 

For I could n't forget the time, ah, no, 

To go further back a good bit 
(Altho' you saucy young witch 

May set there a-laughin' at it). 
When all alone in our own snug home, 

My husband v.ith me on his knee 
Would sit with our arms 'round each other, 

Happy as we could be. 

And the time that followed, you know, dear, 

When merry as bees in clover 
Our little ones, restless and sturdy, 

Had clambered the old thing over ; 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 




And father, he'd set there a-laughiii' — 

Ah me ! the picter was plain, 
With the babies a-settin' upon his knee, 



Over and over agen. 



So I said to the men, " Not that, sir, 

For I can't let it go ! " 
With that they looked at me quite surprised 



32 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

But I up and told 'em, you know, 
How Asa had allers loved that cheer, 

And thinkin' the matter o'er, 
I guessed we 'd keep it till he had gone 

Where cheers warn't needed no more. 

Wal, when we came to the garret 

They found a bedstead. (You see, 
I 'd long ago tucked it away up there. 

For it warn't any use to me.) 
As plain and old and ugly a thing 

As ever was made. But there ! 
As soon as they wanted to take it, 

'T was somethin' I could n't spare. 

For the tears that were dimmin' my spectacles 
Could n't shet out the sight 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

% 

Of the dear little heads that had lain there 
For many and many a night, 




So warm and snug on the pillow 
In that very same little bed, 

After each darlin' had lisped a prayer, 
And the last good-night was said. 



I polished my specs a little. 
And then I says to the men, 

" I reckon we won't decide 'bout that 
Until I see you agen. 



34 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



For there 's manv a thin 2^ comes afore me 

To hinder its goin' away ; 
And so long as there ain't no hurry, 

I '11 think on 't another day." 

Wal, they went on with their lookin' 

From one thing to another, 
Pokin' and rummagin' all around. 

And forever a-nudgin' each other, 
Till at last they spied in a corner 

A spinnin'-wheel. " Massay ! " I said, 
" If you 're thinkin' of buyin' that ere thing. 

You imist be out of your head ! " 




GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. '■ 

Says one of 'em, " Madam, that 's somethin' 

We very much want, and make bold 
To ask you to sell it." " Oh, lawful sakes ! " 

Said I, " now ain't it ^cw old ? " 
They shrugged their shoulders a mite, and then 

They laughed a minit or two. 
And one of 'em said, " We '11 buy it, ma'am, 

If it 's all the same to you." 



Says I, " Young man, be you married ? 

Does your wife know^ how to spin ? " 
" Married ! " laughed he, " now that 's a scrape 

I have n't yet got in ! " 
I did n't exactly know what he meant, 

But I thought I 'd let him know 
That spumin had gone out of fashion 

Ever so long ago. 



36 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



" I 'm willin' to sell it, Mister, 

But I feel it a dooty to say 
That this 'ere spinnin'-wheel ain't no use, 

And will only be in your way. 
But law, if you really want it. 

If you 're set on havin' the thing, 
I dunno but you 're welcome. 

For the sake of the price it '11 bring." 



So they marked it down in their book, 

And, lookin' round a little more. 
They diskivered a queer old table 

A-standin' behind the door. 
The oddest-lookin' table 

That ever was seen, I declare. 
And there did n't seem no reason 

Why that thing I could n't spare 




GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 37 

It was sort of convenient in one way, 

It pulled out as fur as you chose, 
And shet agen as small and snug 

As you please. Why, ev'ry one knows 
Them tables went out of fashion 

Longer ago, I reckon, dear, 
Than most folks now can remember, — 

'T was nigh onto eighty year, 



Yes, nigh onto eighty year, I 'm sure, 

If it was a single day. 
When those pryin' creeturs diskivered it, 

And wanted to take it away. 
For Asa's folks had owned it 

Afore I married their son ; 
And among the presents they give us. 

That 'ere table was one. 



38 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

Thinks I, " They may as well have it," 

So they writ it clown in their book. 
And — wal, I hain't time to tell ye 

Of all those men would 'a' took 
If i 'd only give 'em the chance. 

But I got so clean tuckered out, 
That I hardly knew for sartain 

What on airth I was about. 



So at last they whispered together, 

And one of 'em says, says he, 
" Will fifty dollars pay you 

For the things we 've chosen ? " Law me 
I couldn't believe my senses; 

But I felt in a sorter flurry, 
And I told 'em yes, and then, my dear, 

They went away in a hurry, 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



39 



And left me a-standin' and lookin' 

At a big bill there in my hand ; 
And I tell you, child, it did look good. 

And I felt consid'rable grand. 
All ^/mt for a lot of rubbido-e ? 

Ah, deary me ! I never ! 
And I could 'a' kept on lookin' 

And wonderin' on it forever 




Wal, the money I put in the stockin' 
Atop of the kitchen shelf, 



40 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

And the very fust chance I had to think 

A minit all to myself, 
Says I, " I '11 jest step to the garret 

And dust off them things a bit." 
Oh my ! how flustered and queer I felt 

The minit I thought of it ! 

So, arter I 'd gone to the garret, 

And began a-dustin', wal, there ! 
I had the pecul'arest feelin's 

Take holt of me, I declare ! 
I looked at the spinnin'-wheel, dearie, 

And somehow, I could n't tell why. 
Before I hardly could help it 

I was e'enamost ready to cry. 

There warn't nobody to see me. 
And I felt mighty glad, 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



41 



For ev'rything seemed possest to 
make 
My old heart troubled and sad. 




So, restin' my head agen the wheel 

In a sort of idle way, 
I let myself fall to thinkin', 

And lettin' my mem'ry stray 



To the time when I was a slip of a gal 

A-wearin' Asa's ring, 
Too happy to do a thing all day 

But lauo^h and chatter and sins:. 



42 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



And I minded the times the wheel went round 

To the merry tunes I sung, 
In the days when skies were allers blue, 

'Cause Asa and I were young. 

There was many a lovin' secret 

That I told to my wheel, my dear, 

With the blushes a-burnin' on my cheek, 
Tho' nobody else was near,' 




'i..:',..,H:.;B^^»f 




As out on the farm-house porch I spun 
In the pleasant summer weather, 

Weavin' many a hank of thread 
And gay romance together. 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

But there came a lover's quarrel, child, 

A quarrel 'twixt Asa and me, 
And oh ! the days, the mis'rable days, 

When his face I did n't see ! 
How did it happen ? Wal, I forget. 

It was all so lonof asfo ; 
But there ! young tongues are hasty of speech, 

And so were ours, I know. 



43 



How long did it last ? Oh, wal, my child, 

It really appeared to me 
That minits were fairly hours. 

And the days seemed weeks to be ! 
I turned my wheel with a laggard foot. 

And I had no heart for song; 
And try as I might, it seemed as tho' 

My work was bound to go wrong. 



44 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

But one bright day, I remember, 

When ev'rythin' seemed so glad 
That it looked as if I was the only one 

Of God's creeturs who was sad, 
I was settin' afore my spinnin'-wheel. 

But the wheel was movin' so slow 
That it did n't amount to nothin', 

And finally ceased to go ; 



For I dropped my hands in my lap, 

And I let my foot from the treadle fall, 
And I set jest idly thinkin', 

And seein' nothin' at all, 
Except the face I w^as carryin' 

In my heart from morn in' till night, 
And holdin' fast in my dreams 

Till once again it was light. 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



45 



Wal, as I was settin' there lonely like, 
With many a tear on my cheek, 




Somebody's hands went over my eyes, 
Ah ! not a word did he speak. 

But I knew it was no one but Asa, 
And my heart got a-beatin' so fast 

I could n't move or say nothin' 
Till arter a spell was past ; 



46 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

But I lifted my hands from my lap, 

And I clasped 'em over his own, 
And the tears they came like raindrops; 

And not only my tears alone. 
For I felt the tears from my lover's eyes 

A-splashin' agen and agen 
On the back of my hand, as he bowed his head, 

And kissed my forehead ; and then — 



Ah, wal, no matter what followed ; 

But till the sun was low in the west 
We sang together, my heart and I, 

And — law! you can guess the rest. 
For Asa called round in the evenin', 

And we talked our trouble away, 
And there hain't been another quarrel 

'Twixt us since that glad day. 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

Wal, you see I was thinkin' of all those things 

That clay in the garret, and so 
I kinder hated the promise I 'd give 

To let the old wheel go. 
But I dusted it off and fixed it up, 

For says I to myself, " I 'm sure. 
To break a promise once made 's a thing 

Hannah Spriggins can never endure ! " 



47 



Then I went to the table to dust it off, 

And tidy that up for the men. 
Till those same cur'us feelin's possest me, 

And dimmed my glasses agen. 
That table ! I minded when my old man 

Sot to it alone with me 
(When he warn't old by a sight of years) 

A-drinkin' his cup of tea. 



48 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 




There was only tivo of us then, you know, 

For I was a bit of a wife, 
And never a thought of trouble or care 

Could hurt my giddy young life. 
I allers did my own cookin'. 

And husband, he praised me well, 
And I was proud of our little home, 

Prouder than words could tell. 



Then by and by, when the babies came 
To open our hearts yet more, 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



49 



We made the table larger a bit, — 
Large enough to hold four. 

For the little fellers they grew so fast, 
The two little dimpled dears. 

That it warn't no time afore they set 
To the table in little high cheers. 




Yes, they were twins, them fust that came, 

And nobody ever see 
Sturdier, smarter babies than them 

That belonoed to father and me. 



50 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

But sorrow came, and — wal, we made 

That table small as before, 
And it almost broke our hearts to know 

We were only two once more. 

Wal, time went on, and 't was quite a spell 

'Fore we lengthened it out again. 
But there came at last to the lonely house- 

To lift its burden of pain — 
The blessed sound of sweet voices, 

So dear to a mother's ear, 
And the laugh of my growin' children 

Was glad and pleasant to hear. 

And then my man and I we pulled 

That table to sech a size 
As gladdened our hearts, you may be sure. 

And gladdened our lovin' eyes. 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



51 



Law ! sech a row of the little heads ! 

Black and yaller and brown ! 
We used to think them babies of ours 

Were jest the nicest in town. 




But have n't you noticed, deaiie, 

Sometimes on a summer's day, 
When there ain't a cloud to be seen in the sky, 

And as fur as you look away 
Over the hills and medders 

The sunshine seems so bright. 
It seems as tho' 't would be allers day, 

And there warn't sech a thino: as ni(rht? 



52 



GRANDMA 'S A TTIC TREASURES. 

Wal, that is how it appeared to me, 

And I never once dreamed of sorrow ; 
Bein' so pleased with the present day, 

I could n't think of the morrow, 
Nor sfive a thouo^ht to the sartain fact 

That a nig/a imtst lie between 
Two days, you know, no matter if they 

Are the brightest ever seen. 



And so when the shadows gathered, 

They caught me unprepared, 
And of many homes by a fever robbed. 

Our dear home was not spared. 
And father and I awoke one day 

From a long, unconscious rest. 
To find our darlin s, our own dear birds. 

Had flown from the old home nest. 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 53 

And he and I were again alone, 

Just as we were afore, 
Just as we 'd been, you see, dear, 

At the very fust start. Once more 
We pushed the table together, 

And at every meal we two 
Felt so heart-sick and lonely 

We scarcely knew what to do. 



And at last I could n't a-bear it. 

And I said to Asa one day, 
" I wish," said I, " you 'd let me put 

This table out of the way ; 
And s'posin' you trade for another 

That ain't so lonely as this." 
My man, he pondered a minit, 

Then came and give me a kiss. 



54 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

" Ay, Hannah, you 're missin' the babies ! 

Wal, there is too much of space 
In this old house, dear wife, I know, 

At best, it s a lonesome place ! 
But it 's holdin' you yet, thank Heaven, 

And, please God, it'll hold you long, 
And spare your man, my dearest, 

To work for you good and strong." 



So 'twarn't long arter, it happened 

He traded a load of hay, 
And brought me home from market-town 

A bran-new table one day. 
And I put the old one clean out of sight, 

And forQ;ot it arter a while, 
'Specially when a new baby came, 

And we learned agen to smile. 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



55 



And all the years it had stood there, 
Gettin' so awful old, you see, 

Our one little baby was growin' 
A pretty young gal to be. 




At fifteen she was a beauty, 
At sixteen the village belle; 

And — my! the half of her lovers 
I 'm sure I never can tell. 



56 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

Wal, a likely young feller came to us, 

And courted her up and down, 
And the end of it was she married him, 

And went to live in his town. 
And soon he took her to foreign parts, 

And made her so grand and fine 
You 'd scarcely believe she 'd ever been 

A darter of Asa's and mine. 



Oh, yes ! she kept on livin' there 

For many a month. And then 
It happened one day when Asa had gone 

Down to the fields with the men. 
There came a letter for him and me, 

And these are the words it said : 
" A daughter was born last week to us, 

To-day her mother lies dead !'^ 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 57 

I did n't get no farther, child, 

For I fainted clean away. 
And Asa was fetched from the medder, 

And for many a weary day 
He nussed me keerfully, dearie, 

But oh ! it was lono- afore 
I could dry my eyes from their weepin' 

For the darter I 'd see no more. 



They kept the baby in loreign parts 

Where its father's relations were, 
And the child knew 'bout as little of me 

As I ever heard of her. 
But I could n't help thinkin' all the same 

That things might come about 
So that somcivhcre on the face of the airth 

I 'd find my grandchild out. 



58 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

But I 'm wanderin' off my subject, 

Let's see — wal, about the bed. 
I went to that next to dust it, 

And, '' I won't be fooHsh ! " I said ; 
So I stood beside it detarmined 

To forget the past. But there! 
There was no use fightin' agen it, 

For law! dear, I declare. 



As I stood there lookin' down on it, 

For all the time passed away. 
For all I had turned an old woman, 

Wrinkled, bony, and gray, 
Yet still thro' the mist on my glasses. 

And thro' mist of the years long gone, 
I could see my lost ones before me, 

As long ago, in the morn 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



59 



Of my motherhood, gladsome and happy, 
When the twins — little Asa and Ben- 

Had played froni the dawnin' of daylight 
Till came the oloamin', and then 



rniini ^ in-nw-^ywymmwwmrmTmwmmmw 




I would gather 'em close in my arms 
Till the droopin' of each golden head 

Would make father remind me, " Come, mother, 
You 'd better jest snug 'em in bed." 



6o GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

Ah me ! wal, you 've heani how the Shepherd 

That loves Httle lambs, thought it best 
To call my lambkins to heaven 

In his own lovin' arms to find rest. 
So the bed, for a spell it lay empty. 

Till came Hiram and Eben, and soon 
Two more little fellers a-claimin' 

A share in the lullaby tune. 



Laws ! how that bed kept a-stretchin' 

Like rubber to hold jest one more, 
Until I went up ev'ry evenin' 

To kiss and say good-night to four 
Little frolicksome, rosy-cheeked youngsters 

All liftin' their dear arms to me, 
A-tryin' to hug and kiss mother 

Ahead of each other, you see. 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 6 1 

Wal, how could I help it, now, dearie. 

If while I stood thinkin' that day 
Of the forms and the sweet baby faces 

So long, oh, so long passed away. 
These foolish old eyes of mine weakened, 

And at last I jest dropped my head, 
And oivin' a sob I could n't keep back, 

" Oh, babies ! my babies ! " I said. 



" Only jest for one mi nit to see ye 

A-lyin' so merry and bright, 
And waitin' for mammy to kiss ye, 

My darlin's, for sweet good-night! 
Only jest for one hour of havin' 

Ye all to myself once more ! 
I VI love ye, I 'd kiss ye, my babies. 

As never I kissed ye afore! 



62 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



" Only jest to be able to kneel 

With my cheek agen yours, my dears, 

A-hearin' ye lispin' your prayers once more ! 
Ah me! I'm thinkin' my tears 

Would all be a-turnin' to di'monds 

With the smiles that would shine in my eyes. 




Jest like as the dewdrops sparkle 
In the sun of the mornin' skies." 



GRA.XDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 6^ 

Oh, wal, it warn't no use frettin', 

And I thought, arter all, 't would be best 
To forget all about the old treasures 

And let the bed go with the rest. 
So, arter I 'd left the garret 

I went to the settin'-room 
And drew up the winder curtains 

To lighten the twilight's gloom. 



And next day, bright and quite airly 

(I 'd almost hoped they 'd be late), 
Two men came drivin' a waggin 

Close alongside of our gate. 
(Father had gone an hour afore), 

Says I to the men, " I s'pose 
You 're wantin' to cart the duds away. 

They ain't wuth much, land knows, 



64 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

But I 'm kinder sorry I sold 'em." 

" VVal, ma'am," said the man to me, 
" I reckon you '11 have to let 'em go, 

A bargain 's a bargain," says he. 
So they h'isted 'em into the waggin, 

And land ! they worked so fast 
That afore I knew it they driv away, 

And — my things were gone at last 



Wal, arter their dust had settled down, 

And my kitchen chores were done, 
I looked at the empty places 

Silently, one by one. 
I 'm free to confess I polished my specs, 

(You know I allers do 
When I 'm the least mite flustered, — 

Some day, dear, so may yoii) 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



65 



But I tried to keep up my sperrits 

Till dinner-time came, and then 
(When Asa came home) I clean give up, 

And bust into tears agen. 
My good man did n't say nothin' at fust, 

But he drew his cheer by me. 
And puttin' his arm about my waist. 

He pulled me down on his knee. 




66 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

" Hannah, old woman," he says to me, 

A-passin' his dear old hand 
Over my cheek so lovin' like, 

As tho' he could onderstand 
Jest how my heart was a-throbbin', 

By old-time memories stirred, 
And he had to do all the talkin', 

For I could n't speak a word. 



•' Hannah, old woman," he says to me, 

" Thro' clouds and sunny weather 
You and I, my dear old wife, 

Have been growin' old together. 
Growin' old together, dear heart. 

Ay, spared to comfort each other. 
And tho' our children are all asleep, 

We still are father and mother 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 6 J 

" To sons who never will break our hearts 

With goin' their wilful ways 
(Like that there boy of the Deacon's 

And the son of the Widder Hays). 
We're nearin' the harbor, ain't we, wife? 

And the children will ferry us o'er 
The dark, deep river that we must cross 

To get to the happy shore. 



" 'T would be hard to bear now, would n't it, wife, 

If one of us had to live 
Without the comfort and lovin' care 

The other is ready to give. 
If one of us slept with the children, — 

Wal, there ! the dear Lord knows 
That it will come 'uiost too hard on one 

Arter the other goes ! 



68 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

" So he keeps us trudgin' together, dear, 

Along on the way, and I 
Am nowise afeard he 11 forget us 

Till it comes our turn to die. 
Don't grieve no more o'er the things you sold, 

We needed the cash, I know. 
And I guess, old woman, that you were wise 

Decidin' to let 'em go." 



" Oh husband ! " I said, a-dryin' my tears, 

" I wish there had n't a mite 
Of the dear old stuff gone outer the house. 

I 'd orive a deal for a sio^ht 
Of that plain old table ! oh my ! I 'm sure 

I must have been nigh possest, 
To have spared that table and that there bed ! 

I 'm full of grief and onrest 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 69 

" With hankerin' arter them all aQ^en ! 

The empty places, you see, 
Are, oh ! so empty, dear Asa, 

They look so lonely to me ! 
Wal, there 's the money a-lyin' 

Atop of the kitchen shelf ; 
Do take it out of my sight, my dear, 

For I'm e'enamost sick of myself!" 



So, arter that a week went by 

Quiet and peaceful, and we 
Were gettin' used to the spaces 

Where the old truck used to be. 
I had my Sunday bunnit. 

And a harnsome new green shawl, 
And Asa had the promise 

Of the Deacon's cow in the fall. 



70 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 




And then one day the Deacon driv 

Along beside our gate, 
And hollered, " Hannah Spriggins ! 

Be ye there ? Wal, I can't wait, 
So be spry, for here 's a letter. 

And I reckon it comes from York ; 
I thought I 'd bring it along this way, 

But I hain't no time to talk." 



GRANDMA 'S A TTIC TREASURES. 

I finished my work in the kitchen, 
A-wonderin', as you may guess, 

Whoever on airth could have writ to me. 
And there, I 'm free to confess 

I felt that nervous and flustered 
That I got in a presperation, 

And thouQ-ht of a hundred worriments 



That had n't got no foundation. 



71 



But I could n't feel ready to open it, 

For somehow I did n't keer 
To read the letter jest then, you see, 

When father was n't near. 
So I finished a-rollin' my dough out, 

And settin' my bread to bake. 
And I tried to forget the letter 

In a pie I had to make. 



72 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

Wal, when we opened the letter, 

And read it keerful thro', 
We both of us looked at each other, — 

I laughed, and Asa did, too. 
Then right in the midst of our laughin' 

What did I do but cry? 
While Asa, dear heart, I heard him 

A-heavin' a sort of sigh. 



For what do you think ! My grandchild 

Had come from foreign parts 
With some of her fine relations, 

And the yearnin' prayer in the hearts 
Of Asa and me, it seemed as tho' 

The Lord was willin' at last 
To grant, and " grandma and grandpa's " love 

Was growin' sudden and fast. 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 73 

The child expressed a desire to see 

Her mothers early home. 
" Would grandma and grandpa," she wondered, 

" Be willin' to let her come 
To the dear old farm for two or three days 

To get acquainted, before 
Her uncle would have to take her back 

To the distant English shore ? " 




74 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

Wal, when she came, law! dearie, 

We could scarce believe our eyes ! 
It did n't seem as if Polly's child 

Could have grown to sech a size ! 
A winsome lassie of sixteen year, 

With her mother's bonny face. 
And carryin', too, in all her ways, 

Her mother's innocent grace. 



I rubbed my specs till they shone so clear 

I could n't make no mistake ; 
Then I took her face between my hands, 

And my heart was fit to break 
With lookin' into the soft blue eyes 

That were my dead Polly's own. 
And hearin' my darter's voice agen 

In my grandchild's merry tone. 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 75 

And father, he kissed her agen and agen, 
Tho' he could n't find words to speak ; 

But he laid his wrinkled face, my dear, 
Agen her rosy young cheek. 




" She 's like her mother, dear wife," he said, 
" The child who played at our side 

In the years agone, afore ever she dreamed 
Of bein' a rich man's bride." 



76 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

How long did she stay ? Not long, oh no, 

For her folks they had to go 
'Way back to their own fine home agen 

In foreign parts ; and so 
There came to the poor old farm at last 

A lonely, sorrowful day 
When the child we loved gave her last sweet kiss, 

And turned from our home away. 



And arter that a couple of years 

Went pleasant and peaceful by. 
And Asa and me, we jogged along 

Under a shiny sky. 
And there warn't no tribulations 

Nor trials, dearie, you see, 
A-tarnin' up, as there had been once, 

A-botherin' Asa and me. 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 7/ 

But durin' then my grandchild, 

She married a man; and then 
She said good-by to EngUsh shores 

And came to York agen. 
And, my! she Hved so fash'nable, 

And grew so fine and grand, 
I never could screw up courage — 

You '11 easily onderstand — 



To go and stay to her house. 

As many a time she sent 
An invite pressin' and hearty. 

But I 'd 'a' been glad to went 
If I hadn't 'a' had a feelin' 

That a plain old wrinkled creetur 
With nothin' at all to brag on, 

Either in form or featur, 



78 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

Would sorter be out of place 

Among things so harnsome and new. 
And there was father, my poor old man ! 

He 'd miss me sadly, I knew. 
But then, I hankered to see her, 

My Polly's motherless darter; 
And, wal, I finally said I 'd go, 

'Cause Asa, he said I oughter. 



So I put my duds in the old hair trunk, 

And airly one pleasant day 
Asa, he hitched up old Dobbin, 

And together we driv away 
To the rail-keer station. Oh, massy sakes ! 

How I did feel, my dear. 
At partin' with Asa, for he and me 'd 

Kept close for nigh fifty year. 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



79 




And now I was goin' to leave him ! 

Wal, there, as I set at his side, 
I 'm free to confess, right straight in the road 

I presently up and cried. 
But then old Miss Higgins had promised 

To look a bit arter my man. 
And, "Asa, my dear," said I, "you know 

I '11 come back as soon as I can ! " 



8o GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

So at last I got into the steam-keer, 

And Asa, he called to me : 
" Good-by, old woman, take keer of yourself, 

Hannah, dear heart ! " called he. 
And then there came a rushin' noise, 

And my head felt dizzy and queer. 
And thinks I to myself, " I 'd give a sight 

If I only ivas nt here ! " 



Wal, I got to my grandchild's house at last; 

And, sakes ! I was 'most beat 
To see sech elegant carpits 

Lyin' round under folks' feet ! 
And me a-walkin' onto 'em as if 

They could n't be spiled, my dear. 
And, law ! if you '11 believe me, child, 

I did n't see one cheer 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



8i 



That I really darst to set down in, 

For somehow it peared as tho' 
They was powerful weak and brittle, 

Not a bit like mine, you know. 
And there were a sifrht of fio-orers 

On marble stools and sich. 
And a heap of confusin' gimcracks, — 

I did n't know which from which. 




82 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

And the times I bumped my poor old head 

Agen a big lookin'-glass, 
When I see a room where I wanted to go, 

A-tryin\ you see, to pass 
Right into it! for how could I tell 

'T was only a glass ? and, law ! 
I never see sech deceivin' things 

In my born days afore ! 



But arter I 'd been a-visitin' there 

For nigh on a week, one day 
I was kinder wanderin' round the house 

In a sort of homesick way. 
When I see my darter in her boodoor. 

And she said to me, " Come in ! " 
So I went and set on the sofy. 

Wal, there ! I can't begin 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 83 

To tell the half of the furniture 

That was fillin' the place! Thinks I, 
" It s wuth a creetur's life to move, 

And I 'm sure I dassent try ! " 
So I went to knittin' on Asa's sock 

(It was in my pocket, you know ; 
I allers carry my knittin'-work 

Wherever I chance to go), 



And Polly, she set a-readin', 
And we was as quiet as mice. 

When all on a sudden I see a thing 
That riz me up in a trice. 

It was only a little old table, 

All polished and shinin' ; but law ! 

It looked amazin' like that I 'd sold 



To the men so long afore. 



84 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

" Polly," says I, " ain't that there thing 

A little bit out of place 
In this here fine house of yours?" And then 

She laughed right out in my face. 
" That table, you mean ? why, grandma, 

That 's as old as the hills, you know ! " 
Says I, a-rubbin' my spectacles, 

Says I, " Wal, yes, that 's so, 



" For I had one amazin' like it, 

And a lot more rubbidge, I sold 
To a couple of crazy lunatics 

Who wanted 'em 'cause they was old. 
And you would n't believe two human souls 

Would have actually paid me money 
For cheers and tables and real old things ; 

Now, Polly, was n't it funny ! 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



85 



" But they lugged 'em away, and it 'peared to me 

I missed 'em a sight. It 's queer 
How that there table should make me think 

Of mine. But, Polly, my dear. 
If I was yo7i, when my fine friends call 

I 'd be 'shamed to have 'em see 
A thing so out of fashion ; it spiles 

Your room, it appears to me!" 



i 




With that I put my spectacles on 
To take a good look at the thing, 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

A-standin' right out conspicuous 

With its drawers, and each brass ring 

A-shinin' as bright as gold, my dear, 
A-shinin' as bright as gold, 

And lookin' as chipper and sassy 
As tho' 'twarn't powerful old. 

And there set Polly a-laughin'; 

But then, who keered, my dear? 
Altho' she was thinkin' 'most likely 

That grandmas was mighty queer. 
For I suddenly did diskiver, 

By a sartain familiar sign, 
That that there table in Polly's room 

Had long ago stood in mine. 

It was jest my own dear table. 

The one I had grieved for so long; 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



87 







And, dearie, the homesick feeliii' 

Grew suddenly wonderful strong. 
And I jest set down to that table 

And cried the least little mite, 
For them old brass rings that my babies had clutched 

Were good to my achin' sight. 

Wal arter Polly stopped laughin' 

She up and told me, dear, 
Some funny things, I can teU you, 

I never expected to hear. 
For she said there 'd been a powerful rage 

In New York town, you know. 
For things folks called antik and sech. 

And "old as the hills," and so 



88 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

The men who came pryin' to my house, 

A-meddlin' with things, were expectin' 
To find big bargains to bring to York, 

For the store that sent 'em collectin'. 
And I 'm free to confess I was riled a mite 

To think they 'd only paid me, 
For all they had took, fifty dollars, 

And my grandchild had paid, you see, 



For that there table alone, she said. 

Fifty dollars or more ! 
Wal, there ! I was e'enamost beat, my dear. 

For in all my life afore 
I had never heard tell of sech cheatin' men ; 

My Asa warn't no sech kind ! 
And a cheatin', deceivin' creetur, child, 

Warn't never to my mind. 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 89 

But the table, the dear old table ! 

Oh, dearie, you surely know 
How glad I was to get it again 

In my grandchild's house ; and so 
I writ to father that very night. 

And I told him, " Asa," says I, 
" Our Polly, she says ;/^zty-fashioned things 

Are all a-goin' by. 



" A^<?z£;-fashioned times is behind the age, 

6)/^-fashioned things is new, 
And things ain't new, or wuth a cent, 

Unless they 're aniik too. 
And the cur'ous part of it all, my man. 

Is a lesson I 'm larnin' well : 
The duds stowed away these forty years 

Arc too faslinable to sell. 



90 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

" But law ! there 's one thing puzzles me, 

And I 'm wonderin', Asa dear, 
If the world thinks any the more of folks 

Who are ruther antik and queer; 
But there ! I reckon that neither of us, 

My man, will ever be able 
To prove our wuth compared with that 

Of a vabt ble mttik tabUy 



But I did n't stay long at Polly's, 

For somehow I could n't stay, 
A-knowin' the old man missed me. 

So airly one pleasant day 
My grandchild's husband took me 

To the keers, and we said good-by, 
And I was so glad to be gettin' home, 

I was really afraid I should cry. 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 



91 



Wal, Asa was there at the station, 

A-waitin' and watchin' for me, 
And as soon as the keers reached our village, 

His face was the fust thing I see. 
So we rode in the waggin, side by side. 

Back over the road agen, 
Till we neared the dear old home- 
stead 

Under the elms, and then 



// 




92 GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

My man, he turned his face to me, 

And the tears were in his eyes : 
" Oh Hannah, wife, the sun has come 

Straischt back to the old home skies ! 
You 're welcome home, dear heart ! " he said ; 

And he put a kiss on my cheek. 
I kissed him back, but my heart was full, 

And I did n't dare to speak. 



Wal, we settled down agen at last 

In the quiet old home together; 
And whatever the gloom, whatever the shine 

Of life, its wind and weather. 
We shared alike, my man and me. 

As, please God, to our old life's end 
We may share together whatever of joy 

Or grief he may choose to send. 



ir 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 

There, now, you have heard my story, 

And Asa's stocking is done; 
(Dear me! it is late — it's time he was back, 

And the medder is hot with the sun !) 



93 




Jest help me in on your arm, dear. 
And now, as you 're goin' home, 

I '11 set to the winder awhile alone. 
And watch for Asa to come. 



94 



GRANDMA'S ATTIC TREASURES. 




See ! there he is by the pasture bars, 

A-\vavin' his hand to me ; 

He knozvs I 'm here by the winder 

A-vvatchin' for him, you see. 
Wal, good-by, dearie ; come often 

With your bright and bonny young face, 
If you ain't afeard that amongst the antik 

Your style will be — out of place. 



-A 



,x 



